BLOCKING Uber drivers who cancel on passengers multiple times to be considered, say reports

Ride-hailing firm Uber are reportedly looking into BLOCKING drivers on its platform who cancel on passengers multiple times, according to City AM reports.

The move follows rising frustrations and complaints directed at the operator who are battling against a shortage of drivers and a rise in demand post pandemic lockdown.

The global operator also recently announced a fare increase in London of 10% in a bid to recruit more drivers to cover demand.

The company has said in recent weeks, during peak times, cancellation rates and waiting times have been higher than normal, which they believe has been an issue for all other apps and operators.

Uber hope the increases will help provide a “better rider experience” by bringing more drivers onto the app.

Uber claim a similar number of drivers are choosing to use the Uber app compared to before the pandemic, however the huge spike in demand of almost 20% since the end of lockdown means that they need 20,000 more drivers to help get service levels back to normal.

A recent change to its driver's privacy policies mean they may now consider how frequently drivers have rejected journeys in the past when assigning them to new jobs.

According to City AM, Uber are yet to update its algorithm, but the update in policy now means it reserves the right to do so moving forwards.

Other operators are also looking to overcoming the shortage of drivers. Ride-hailing firm Bolt look set to allow drivers the ability to set their own prices before the Christmas surge in demand. The move, which is a first for any UK ride hailing operator, is aiming to make the Bolt platform more attractive to drivers by giving them additional control of their business.

Drivers will be able to set their own prices within a range to reflect their own preferences and local market conditions. Alternatively they can continue to use Bolt’s dynamic standard pricing. It is hoped the move will lead to a better functioning marketplace, with fewer cancellations, and better stability of earnings over a weekly period.

Bolt will be testing the new features across several cities starting from this week ahead of a planned UK wide roll out before Christmas.